Georgetown Hires Patrick Ewing as Head Coach for Men’s Basketball Team

Patrick Ewing has a new gig as the head coach for Georgetown’s Hoyas. The prestigious university announced the former NBA star as its head coach after the termination of the Hoyas coach, John Thompson III, who is said to be the son of Ewing’s former coach John Thompson Jr.

According to ESPN, Ewing will join Chris Mullin, of St. Johns University, as the only Division I head coaches in history who were once Hall of Famers players. “My four years at Georgetown were the best of my life,” Ewing said in a statement. “Georgetown is my home and it is a great honor for me to return to my alma mater and serve as the next head coach. I have been preparing to be a head coach for many years and can’t wait to return to the Hilltop.”

Since 2013, Ewing served as an associate head coach for the Charlotte Hornets, which gave him all of the experience he needed for the Georgetown Hoyas.

“To hire a head coach with this depth of coaching experience and personal achievements is tremendous,” said athletic director Lee Reed. “It is a thrill to have him come back to his alma mater and continue the legacy of tradition and success he had as a student-athlete on the Hilltop.”

Ewing will be replacing John Thompson III who spent the last 13 seasons as the men’s basketball head coach. According to ESPN, Thompson III led the team to eight NCAA experiences and finished 14-18 this season, including a 5-13 mark in Big East play.

As for the new head coach, Ewing, who is a Georgetown legend, played for the Hoyas from 1982 to 1985, leading them to a national title in 1984. He went on to become a NBA Hall of Famer, despite never winning a championship.